Sept. 1 Is Deadline for Class A TV Stations To Cease Analog Transmissions

Class A TV stations must terminate analog transmissions by Sept. 1, the FCC Media Bureau said in a reminder public notice Tuesday. The deadline stems from the FCC low-power TV DTV order, the PN said. “Class A television stations may no longer operate any facility in analog mode associated with their Class A license after 11:59 pm, local time, on September 1, 2015.” Class A stations that haven’t completed constructing digital facilities must go silent while they do so, it said. Class A's silent for more than 30 days must request permission from the FCC, and stations silent for 12 consecutive months risk losing their authorization, it said. Stations that require additional time can submit a request for tolling, it said, and stations that haven’t completed the transition are obligated to notify their viewers on-air “of their forthcoming digital transition.”